The present invention relates generally to a method for making an automotive headliner and more particularly to a method for making a punched automotive headliner.
Vehicle headliners are commonly utilized in automotive design and construction in order to improve the appearance of the inside of the automobile. In addition, headliners may be utilized to provide sound absorption in order to improve passenger comfort. Headliners are preferably lightweight and rigid and may be mounted to the roof in a variety of fashions. They commonly must accommodate a variety of features such as sunroofs, lighting, entertainment features, ventilation, and most recently safety features.
As the resultant complexity of the vehicle headliner form has increased in response to these features, so too has the complexity of manufacturing the headliner. Traditional punch methodologies utilized to generate proper form in a headliner blank can experience undesirable fatigue when utilized to continuously generate orifices within the blank to accommodate these features. Traditional punch methodologies place the headliner blank within a punch tool between a punching component and a mating component. The punching component is pressed towards the mating component until it punches through the headliner blank and contacts the mating component. This in turn removes waste from the headliner blank and thereby forms the desired orifices and other shapes.
It is known, however, that repeated engagement of the cutting edge on the punching component with the mating component can serve to dull the cutting edge and reduce its effectiveness. In short term degradation, this may negatively impact the quality of the sheared edge of the headliner which in turn may impact installation and customer satisfaction. Over longer term degradation, the cutting edge may experience greater difficulty in effectuating the punch itself and may require replacement. Such replacement requirements can impact manufacturing costs, which in turn impact the part and automotive cost basis. A more robust punch methodology that preserved the cutting edge over greater usage could be utilized to provide improvements to the manufacturing costs.
In addition to the robustness of punch tooling, existing methodologies leave room for improvement in the headliner design. Commonly, in areas surrounding the outer edge of the headliner or feature areas, the headliner blank material is bent to generate a flange. These flanges may be utilized for both appearance as well as assembly considerations. Often it is required that an additional support element be bonded to these flanged areas of the headliner blank such that structural rigidity is preserved and mounting strength is generated. The dual material throughout the generated flanged area can serve to increase the weight of the headliner assembly. This, in turn, effects both cost as well as fuel efficiency of the vehicle. An improved headliner design that minimized material overlap between the headliner blank and support element could be utilized to both reduce weight and lower costs.
It would therefore be highly desirable to have a new method for producing automotive headliners that improved machining robustness. It would further be highly desirable to have an automotive headliner with improved weight savings.